Overcoming a feisty, well-financed challenger as well as considerable political turbulence for championing the extension of term limits and breaking with allies in a divisive battle for party leadership in the borough, Council Member Oliver Koppell secured the Democratic nomination on Sept. 15 and a certain path to a third term.

The veteran Riverdalian politician, who entered public life as an assemblyman in 1970, defeated challenger Tony Perez Cassino, the former chairman of Community Board 8 and founder of a rival political club, 64 to 36 percent. Much of the district is in Riverdale and Kingsbridge, but Koppell won Norwood and Bedford Park by an almost identical margin.

Though competing in a favorable climate for challengers in the city — up to six may have succeeded in ousting incumbents — Cassino couldn’t overcome Koppell’s enduring favorite-son status and a loyal and experienced cadre of die-hard supporters, even including those who shook their heads and muttered their displeasure when Koppell sided with Bronx Democratic Party chairman Jose Rivera in his unsuccessful bid to hold on to power last year.

Shortly after the polls closed at 9 p.m. on primary night, Koppell volunteers started streaming into the storefront headquarters of the Benjamin Franklin Reform Democratic Club on East 231st Street in Kingsbridge, many with vote-tally sheets in hand. At 9:16 p.m. the club’s chief strategist, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, announced, “We know he won. The question is by how much.”

Campaign staff were busy entering the numbers collected directly from many of the district’s voting precincts into a computer spreadsheet.

After the narrow storefront filled beyond capacity with supporters, including his wife, children and grandchildren, Koppell, 69, jumped up on a chair and delivered a thundering victory speech, saying he was “enormously grateful for this affirmation that comes from every part of this district.” Koppell also interpreted the results as vindicating his unwavering position on term limits, a central issue in the campaign.

“I’m opposed to it because voters have a choice,” he told the cheering crowd, pointing to his own competitive primary.
(While voters did have a choice between Koppell and Cassino, the field narrowed considerably when two other challengers dropped out early in the campaign primarily because of the term limits extension. Koppell told the Norwood News that he probably won’t run again but that he would nonetheless recommend to any City Charter Revision Commission that term limits be eliminated completely.)

Meanwhile, the Cassino camp gathered at Ibiza, a bar on West 242nd Street near Manhattan College where, despite the nightclub atmosphere, the mood was obviously more subdued.

Cassino said he had no regrets after running a “hard campaign” and leaving “no stone unturned.” He said he “emerged from this with a great respect for the process.”

He did lament the paltry turnout where only 7,000 people voted in a district with 64,000 registered Democrats, a highly anemic showing replicated citywide. “That’s the only thing I walk around with sadness about,” he said.

Cassino said he would continue directing the pro bono division of the Manhattan law firm he works at and would “continue to work on issues I care about,” on the community board and as chairman of the Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy.

The one-on-one race was spirited but bitter at times. Koppell and Cassino participated in several debates together, including one organized by the Norwood News. They locked horns on several issues while sitting shoulder to shoulder, but, unlike many other debateless races in the borough, the meetings thoroughly probed issues affecting the community.

Because the candidates were competitive financially, campaign literature from both poured into local voters’ mailboxes, and the attacks became more severe as the primary drew closer.

In a phone interview on Monday, Koppell said Cassino’s campaign “was the best campaign run against me,” adding that the term limits issue added fuel to the fire. He believes his own campaign was invigorated by a large crop of energetic volunteers, including several young people.

Though he is virtually assured of victory in the general election on Nov. 3, he nonetheless will face Conservative Stephen Bradian and Republican Stylo Sapaskis.

Among his legislative priorities in 2010, Koppell said that in response to the city’s controversial program of placing homeless families in residential buildings, he is drafting legislation to require more community board input and to prohibit placing families in buildings that have “C” — the worst — violations.